Tension top strap for automobiles



Mar. 27, 1923.

Y B. W. MCGINNIS.

TENSION TOP STRAP FOR AUTOMOBILES- FILED DEC. 12, 192i Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

' UNITED "sr BASIL w. meimv'rs, or BrnMINeHAM, ALABAM TENSION 'roesiranr FOR AUTOMOBILES,

Application filed December 12', 1921. Serial no. 521,659i

To all whom it may concern; we

Be it known thatLBAsrL W. MCGINNIS, a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Top Straps for Automobiles, of which thefollowing is a -specification. W

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in tension top straps utilized to connect the front end of an automobile top to the wind shield frame at each side in order to properly'secure the forward end of the top in operating position- Heretoforethe"general practice has been to" utilize a strap for the purpose of connecting the top at each side to the windshield frame.

In my pending vapplication, 'Serial :No. 506,916, I have shown and described. a spring tension member utilized in place of this strap and provided with suitable'means for attaching the same to the wind shield and to a staple in the top frame.-

My present invention contemplates the following changes which in practice I have found of material importance, namely; 1 so shape the body portions of the hook members which pass in opposite directions through a coil tension spring that they are maintained throughout free of contact with the coils of the spring which are engaged only at each end by the out-turned ends of these members, and I bend one hook member over so that it is normally engaged by the adjacent end of the spring when the latter at rest, The advantages of these two changes are that all frictional contact between the hook members and the spring is eliminated to'the end that it will not be necessary to lubricate the device to prevent,

squeaking, and by utilizing the spring to serve as a yieldable closure for the neck of one hook, this hook may be utilized as a means to interlock the device with either the top or the wind shield as may be desired when the top is folded back, since by having the neck of such hook closed by the spring in operating position.

Similar reference nume'rals'refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

As. illustrated, my invention'comprises a Figr2a front elevation of my tension top" i helically coiled compression spring 1 formed of coarse wire with its outerend'convolu tions -pre'ferably flattened or otherwise straightened'in a manner to lie in a plane 'at'right angles to that of 'the longitudi- I 1 nal axis thereof, substantially as'shownfi Through the center ofthis coil spring I pass the body portions 2 and 3 of two reversely disposed hook members 4: and'5, respectively.

In its preferred form, each hook member is 7 formed by'adouble strand of 'wire, the

strands lying in close j uXta-positionthroughout the hook and also throughout'the body portion which latter passescentrally through the coils so as to leave ample clearance be tween them'and the spring. The ends of the I strands at the other end ofgthe body portion from the hook are out-turned at- 6' to form a spring seat which interlocks with the adjacent flattened {and coil 'of'the' spring,

and when the parts are thus assembled the' spring is in position between and interlocked with the seats 6 at opposite ends thereof,

while the hooks 4E and 5 project beyond'the" opposite ends of the spring. If desired, the

hook 4: maybe of the normal type and this is adapted to be readily engaged with or disengaged from either the attachment ,plateT, which by a nut 8 is secured to the hinge bolt of the hinge joint 8 of the wind shield frame, or the staple 9 which is secured by,

screws or other fastenings 1.0 to the top frame 11. The hook '5, however, is provided with an inturned end 12 which will normally contact with or standsuificiently close to the adjacent end of the spring so that the latter will form a closure for the neck of the hook;

may, if desired, be bent into dotted position,

whereupon by applying compression to the spring, the other'hook 4 may be caused to engage its attachment member and the tension top spring will be in operating position which brings it under the desired compression to yieldingly connect the top to the wind shield frame so as to form an ideal shock absorbing support for the top. When it is desired to fold the top back, it is onlv necessary to detach the open hooks e: and this will disengage the tension spring members from either the top or the wind shield plate 7, leaving them hanging interlocked with the other part in such manner that they cannot be lost but will remain ready, when the top is again set up, to be easily and conveniently hooked into operating position. Moreover, as the car is driven and the spring is caused to expand and contract, the bodies of the hook members will work freely through the spring without such frictional contact therewith as might cause squeaking. It will also be seen that the manner in which the ends 6 are bent outwardly and about the ends of the spring will prevent the lateral displacement of the bodies in the spring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the top of an automobile having a staple at each side, and a wind shield having a hook anchor at each end, of a shock absorbing connection each side between said anchor and staple comprising reversely disposed bent wire hook members and a coiled spring having flattened outer end convolutions, said hook members having bodies which pass free of contact with and substantially centrally through said spring in opposite directions,

each body having the free ends of the wire strand forming it bent outwardly in opposite directions and substantially at right angles to engage and interlock with the ad attaching means thereof with the attaching means of said top, said connectors each comprising hook members and a coiled spring, said members having their body portions passed free of contact with and centrally through said spring in opposite directions, each body portion of the members having its free ends arranged to engage the outer convolutions of said spring, and one member having its hooked end arranged to cooperate with the adjacent end of said spring whereby to act as a guard for preventing its accidental disengagement froin the attaching means with which it may be connected.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

BASIL W. MGGINN IS. lVitness:

Norma WnLsH. 

